Counseling involves expressing your concerns, questions and feelings, and identifying
ways to handle them. It is not a magical process, but one that requires your participation.
Perhaps you can imagine yourself putting together a puzzle. You have all of the pieces
before you. Seeking the right combination can often leave you feeling frustrated.
After several attempts, a key piece falls into place. What seemed impossible now seems
solvable. Similarly, counseling may help you gain a new perspective on solutions to
problems. Counseling may involve taking some risks, and trying out new ways of being.
With the support and involvement of a professional counselor, this is often less difficult
than you might think.

We offer career counseling to help students sort through career-related issues. You
may use career counseling sessions to discuss values, interests, abilities, and other
concerns related to career decision-making. Every quarter the College offers a 2-credit
career exploration and life planning transfer course (Human Development 105). We also
offer career assessment tools that may help you as you begin the career exploration
process.

There is a nominal fee (payable in cash or check) for the following career assessments:

The Counseling Center provides short-term counseling at no cost to Shoreline Community
College registered students.

The service you receive is based upon a determination of your counseling goals and
the Counseling Center's resources. If the Counseling Center is unable to meet your
goals, referral resources will be identified for you.

Note: Employees attending Shoreline Community College on the Employee Tuition Fee
Waiver are not eligible for services at the Counseling Center. Employees should contact
Human Resources regarding concerns and obtaining information about the Employee Assistance
Program (EAP).

If you are interested in counseling, please call the Counseling Center 206-546-4559
or stop by 5229 in the FOSS Building to make an intake appointment.

At the intake, you will have the opportunity to talk about your concerns as well as
learn about our services and other resources. You and the intake counselor will determine
the next appropriate service options that might best serve your needs.

If you are unable to keep an appointment, please call the Counseling Center Office
Assistant to cancel at least 24 hours in advance. If staff cannot keep an appointment
with you, the Office Assistant will attempt to contact you.

Our staff includes masters-level and doctorate-level professional counselors who offer a broad
range of interests, approaches, backgrounds, and perspectives and function primarily
as generalist counselors. Call 206-546-4559 or email and ask if you have a question!

What if I am having an emergency or feel like "I'm falling apart" and have no one
to turn to?

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please dial 911.

A person is in crisis when they are having a sudden reaction that is so intense that
they cannot function as they normally would. Symptoms often include completely overwhelming
emotions that make it difficult to keep focus, have clear thoughts, stay in class
or interact normally with peers.

If you are in crisis you do not need an appointment! You can come directly to 5229
FOSS and let the Office Assistant know that you have an urgent need. If possible,
a call to the Counseling Center (206-546-4559) prior to arrival will help us prepare
to assist you.

If you feel that you are going to hurt yourself or someone else, please call 911 immediately
(NOTE: Calling 911 does not mean the police are coming to arrest you.)

If you come to the Center and you have a plan for hurting yourself or someone else
we will call 911 for you.

If you are experiencing a crisis situation after hours and cannot wait until we are
open, please call the Crisis Clinic at 206-461-3222 or toll-free at 1-866-427-4747.
Click [here] for details about the Crisis Clinic.

Someone on campus is in a crisis, threatening to hurt themselves or someone else—what
do I do?

If you encounter:

An individual with a weapon threatening to kill himself

An individual shouting threats and destroying property

An individual sends an e-mail or text stating an intention to kill herself with a
clear plan

Do...

Stay calm, acknowledge feelings, take statements seriously!

Call the emergency number - 911

Contact Campus Security at 206-546-4499 to consult about a plan

Do Not...

Minimize or ignore the individual, try to solve the problem, be afraid or show that
you are afraid of the individual .

If you encounter:

An individual sends an e-mail or text indicating life isn't worth living

An individual confides in you that they have fleeting thoughts or fantasies about
killing them self

An individual describes suicidal thoughts in a class assignment

Do...

Contact the Counseling Center at 206-546-4559

The Counseling Center staff will...

Help you discuss concerns with the individual

Refer you to appropriate resources

Contact police for a welfare check; or

Contact the individual

If this occurs after office hours, between 5:00 PM and 8:00 AM...

Do...

Stay calm, take the individual seriously, contact someone to discuss the concerns;
do contact the Crisis Clinic at 206-461-3222 if concerns are raised after Counseling
Center Office Hours; do contact the emergency number - 911. Click [here] for details about the Crisis Clinic.

The counseling process is confidential, which means that we cannot release any information
about you except under certain legally prescribed conditions. This extends to situations
where a client is referred to the Counseling Center by a faculty member. You will
have your Confidentiality rights fully explained to you in your first session with
a counselor.

What you discuss with your counselor, including notes and counseling records will
be kept in confidence and, except under extremely rare circumstances, will not be
shared with anyone outside of the Counseling Center, unless you give us written authorization
to do so.

Counseling records are not a part of the academic records, and no one on or off campus
has access to Counseling Center records except under extremely rare conditions which
will be fully explained in your first session with a counselor.

For more information on the confidentially policy you may contact Yvonne L. Terrell-Powell,
Director, Equity, Engagement, and Service, Counseling Services, and High School Programs
by email at yterrell@shoreline.edu or by phone at 206-546-4509.

Our counselors do not offer tutoring but can help you create a game plan to improve
your test-taking, concentration, memory, test anxiety, time-management, and other
study skills. Additionally, you might also consider enrolling in Human Development
101 (HUMD 101), a course that focuses student success and study skills.

If you would like tutoring help please stop by the SCC Writing and Learning Studio
located in Room 1510 or call 206-546- 4308, or explore online resources.

Our staff welcomes your contact. We also value your privacy. Please consider the following
information prior to sending an email.

E-mail is not an appropriate medium for personal counseling. If you are a Shoreline
Community College student seeking personal counseling, please visit our office in
the FOSS Building (Room 5229) or call 206-546-4559 to schedule an appointment with
a counselor.

Our counselors do not respond to inquiries from our clients regarding specific counseling
issues. Confidentiality is essential to the counseling process and cannot be assured
with e-mail.

Staff may not read e-mail on a regular basis. Also, you have no way of knowing if
staff is unavailable due to illness, vacation, or other reasons. This means that your
message may not be read immediately. If time is of particular concern for you, please
call our office during office hours at 206-546-4559.

Groups and departments throughout the College contact us regularly to request presentations.
We welcome these requests, and try to fulfill as many as possible each quarter. If
you would like a counselor to provide a presentation to your group or class please
contact the Counseling Center at 206-546-4559.